The flowers (cones) of the female hop plant, Humulus lupulus L, are used in the making of beverages, especially beer, as a flavoring and processing component. Hops contribute towards the bitterness and aroma in beer as well as foam quality and flavor and taste stability.
Hop plants, hops cones, male hop flowers, hop plant parts, hop tissue cultures and hop extracts also have bioactive properties; including anti-microbial, anti-cancer, anti-osteoporosis, anti-oxidative, anti-inflammatory, antibiotic, soporific, anti-androgenic, and pro-estrogenic activities, among others; which may be used in herbal remedies, in antimicrobial preparations for food, fodder, food fermentation, food process, animal husbandry; or in non-food uses, such as composting, biofuel processing, fermentation process, water treatment, animal bedding and phytoremediation; and uses in cosmetics, in nutraceutical and in pharmaceutical applications and in research thereof. Examples activities and non-berverage uses are included herein by references: J Hazard Mater. Apr 26;91(1-3):95-112; Mol Cancer Ther. Sep; 1(11):959-69; Phytochemistry. May;65(10):1317-30; U.S. Pat. No 6,423,317 (2002); U.S. Pat. No. 6,623,775 (2003).
Agricultural end-product users, growers, handlers and processors of hops, of hop plants, of hop tissues and of hop products use hops and are affected by the agronomic, developmental, morphological, chemical and physical properties that vary among unique and distinct asexually reproduced varieties. This invention relates to an asexually produced hop variety, named “APOLLO”, invented in a planned and systematically executed breeding program.